National Book Policy needed in Malawi- Sambalikagwa Mvona

Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) president, Sambalikagwa Mvona, has called for the need to establish a national book policy, saying lack of such a provision had left most Malawian writers poorer than church mice.
Mvona bemoaned the state of Malawian writers, saying they barely got enough out of their sweat; a development he said has impacted negatively on the country’s reading culture.
“We talk of Malawians lacking a reading culture; but the main problem lies in the fact that we don’t have a book policy, and this leaves our writers without any incentives. The result has been disastrous as writers shun projects, and readers often lack Malawian staff to read. We have created the lack of reading culture we are weeping about,” said Mvona.
He added: “A book policy is by no mean a luxury. It is needed now than ever before. That way, our writers will earn from their sweat and Malawians will begin to like their own writers and foreign books will have little room for maneuver.”